Interlacing Fate
by Yorutsuki-Lunia
Summary: He couldn't protect them. He couldn't protect his parents. But he will do everything to protect those he still have, even if it meant selling his soul to the devil. But will his guardian let him walk down the path of darkness?


**Okay, I killed off Ichigo's parent in this. I have a reason alright. It's for the plot.**

**This idea's been bugging me so gonna flush it out from my head. Didn't decide yet to make it multichapters or just this one shot,**

**Anyway, enjoy.**

The door slides open from the outside, admitting the entrance of a young man clad in a cream trench coat. The man stood by the door, his stilted amber eyes looking over the ward before settling on the slumped figure of a child sitting on the window sill.

He took in the boy's appearance, easily noticing the dullness of those honey brown orbs. The man frowned when he noticed the unkempt state of the child's vibrant orange hair but decided to push it aside for latter complaint to the hospital management.

The man walked toward the child, his frown deepening further when he noticed how thin the boy looked when the reduced the distance between them. He could see the prominent cheekbones jutting under pale skin and dark bags. The thin bones of the child's limbs was easily detected due to the boy's sitting position that made the sleeves of the hospital uniform ride up his limbs.

He stood a couple of feet away from him, patiently waiting for the child to acknowledge his presence but he never did. The boy's eyes stared out the window, looking at nothing and not focused on anything, as if he was lost in a reverie.

"Ichigo-kun." He called for the boy's attention, voice soft and gentle, choosing to tread carefully around the emotionally unstable child.

The boy doesn't seem to hear him, too trapped in whatever trance that seized him or he did heard him, but chooses to ignore him. The man sighed softly and debated on what he should do. Should he wait for the boy to finally acknowledge him or snap him from his reverie? Looking at the boy, he opted for the second option.

He reached out his hand toward the child, uncertain if he should proceed but the choice was taken out of his hand when he tripped over his own feet and the hand landed on the boy's cheek. He felt the boy flinching violently under his palm and barely managed to dodge the hand swiping at him viciously.

The boy let out a snarl and lunged toward him, small fists swinging with anger and hate. He dodged each swipes, eyes softening with sympathy when he saw the soul crushing anguish inside those pools of darken honey.

He gently caught one of those small fists in his much larger hand, holding it with firm tenderness. The boy recoiled, as if burnt but he didn't release him. The blonde knelt in front of the boy and looked at him in the eyes. He saw only grief and lost, gone were those usual shine and childish glee. It broke him when he saw deep resentment in those eyes, a self-loathing that he was intimately bonded.

"It's not your fault." The blonde stated firmly, eyes open and honest to allow the boy to see how he truly meant it.

"Masaki and Isshin love you so much that they are willing to die for you." He cupped the gaunt cheek with his other hand, thumb caressing the cold skin gently. He saw those eyes darkened further to murky mud of negative emotions, resentment dominating above all other.

"But I was supposed to protect them. Okaa-chan said so." The boy mumbled softly, sounding so utterly broken that it strung at his heartstrings.

"Yet you're still a child, their child. It is a parent's duty to protect their child. They died to protect you and your sisters."

The man pulled the boy into his arms, holding him close as the boy curled up. He felt the small body shivering before a heart-breaking sob rocked it. He rubbed soothing circles on his back, humming softly in his ears to sooth him.

"You still have your little sisters. They need their Number One Protector to protect them. You can be their protector in your parents' stead. Besides, I am here for you. I will always be here for you Ichigo." He murmured, holding the boy in arms tightly, shielding him from the cruel world that stripped away his parents all too soon.

**Wrote it in 30 minutes so don't expect much. How was it? Should I continue?**

**Ciao ciao**

**Y.L**


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